When Did Metabolism First Originate? (IMAGE) EMBO Caption A reconstruction of Earth's earliest ocean in the laboratory revealed the spontaneous occurrence of the chemical reactions used by modern cells to synthesize many of the crucial organic molecules of metabolism (bottom pathway). Whether and how the first enzymes adopted the metal-catalyzed reactions described by the scientists remain to be established. Credit <em>Molecular Systems Biology</em> Usage Restrictions Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (CC BY-NC 3.0) License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.